U.S. Pat. No. 4,287,762 describes a digital electronic weather station, weather center or weather monitor with a digital display panel and circuitry for selecting and displaying on the panel any of a number of monitored weather functions. The weather parameters include, for example, temperature, barometric pressure, humidity, wind speed, wind direction, and rainfall. Calculated weather parameters such as wind chill and degree days may also be included. The weather parameters are monitored by various ambient condition sensing transducers coupled to the weather station circuitry. These transducers provide measurement values in the form of electrical analog or digital signals for further processing. The weather parameter measurement signals are processed and stored and weather data is then displayed in the form of characters on the weather station panel. The weather station panel may be located on a wall, desk, or other accessible location.
The weather parameter transducers described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,287,762 generally utilize the rotational motion or other displacement of a respective parameter responsive structure and incorporate visible calibration marks for example in digital code pattern to be read by a stationary optical reader or photo detector which provides electrical output signals for processing. The optical reading techniques used in U.S. Pat. No. 4,287,762 generally transform analog devices typically employing as the moveable analog element a rotatable shaft, into digital readout devices.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,667,514 also describes a variety of parameter sensors and monitors useful as weather transducers for measuring weather parameters. The weather parameter sensors and monitors utilize a magnet element and a linear Hall Effect Transducer (HET) mounted for relative displacement with respect to each other for example on a weather parameter responsive structure and stationary housing. The displacement transducer assemblies utilizing HETs for measuring weather parameters provide electrical signal outputs suitable for analog or digital processing. A digital rain gauge providing digital output signals representing cumulative rain fall is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,943,762.
In the basic weather station described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,287,762 a memory and microprocessor permit selection and display from memory of maximum and minimum readings of the monitored weather parameters and selection of additional calculated functions such as wind chill and degree days. A system clock permits display of time and date. User selection of weather parameters for display of measurement value weather data is made from among the multiple weather parameter functions by a rotary switch having a rotary dial with detente positions for selecting a particular transducer and associated circuitry and display elements. Conventional push button switches may also be used for selecting functions for display and for selecting maximum and minimum measurement values of a particular weather parameter for display along with the time and date of occurrence of the maximum or minimum value. Additional switches are provided for resetting data for storage and display.
A variation of the weather station display panel is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,627,277 where a magnetic switch or selector is used for selecting from multiple weather functions being monitored. The display panel provides digital alphanumeric display of a monitored parameter or condition selected among multiple functions by a sliding magnet element which selectively actuates reed switches. User interaction for selection of maximum and minimum measurement values and for resetting stored weather data is also accomplished with the sliding magnet element switches. Each type of weather station display requires a specially manufactured display panel for presenting the selected weather data.